The present invention relates to vehicle steering and suspension systems and particularly to such systems adapted to induce leaning of the vehicle frame during turning of the vehicle.
Conventional personal automotive vehicles are known to suffer significant deficiencies in steering and general handling capability due to the steering and suspension systems typically employed therein. As is well known, during the turning of a conventional automotive vehicle, centrifugal force acts upon the vehicle radially outwardly of the turn creating a tendency of the vehicle to roll about an axis extending longitudinally of the vehicle. Conventionally, this problem is brought within acceptable limits by the construction of steering and suspension system having a roll axis relatively low to the ground and the rigidifying of the suspension system with "anti-sway" or similar arrangements. However, the tendency of the vehicle to roll during turning still exists in these vehicles, the primary effect of such steering and suspension arrangements being to require greater centrifugal forces to initiate roll.
In the past, various types of vehicle steering and suspension systems have been proposed to improve vehicle handling by counteracting centrifugal forces during turning by mechanically providing for the leaning of the vehicle radially inwardly of turns correspondingly to shift the center of gravity of the vehicle inwardly. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,283,942; 2,029,735; 2,053,294; 2,260,102; 2,493,817; 3,447,623; 3,746,118; 3,964,563; 4,020,914; 4,072,325; and 4,088,199. Mechanically-induced vehicle leaning is perhaps best adapted to three-wheeled vehicles, the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,563 disclosing one particular proposed arrangement for this purpose which employs a mechanism intercoupling two transversely-spaced wheels for automatic opposed reciprocatory pivotal movement upwardly and downwardly for inducing vehicle leaning inwardly of any turning movement of the vehicle.